Road Trip North 2025-26, Day 7: Birthday on the Blues Trail and Atop the Memphis Pyramid

 

I have to say that the beds at the Three Foot Hotel are incredibly comfortable, and while the room seemed small at first compared to our usual hotel rooms or even our bedroom at home, we got used to it and found it very cozy. This morning I did DuoLingo in bed before we went down to 6:01 Local the restaurant downstairs for breakfast. Very delicious coffee! There is a Starbucks in the hotel, but we didn't need it, and they only give you a free drink on your birthday if you have the app on your phone, which I don't. We took a walk to see the house of Jimmy Rodgers, the Singing Brakeman, aka the Blue Yodeler. Here are photos of Meridian, which is known for its beautiful old buildings and carousel horses.

Photos of Jimmy Rodgers' house.

More photos of downtown Meridian.

The lovely Three Foot Hotel.

Then we hit the road and drove to Greenwood, Mississippi to see Robert Johnson's grave. He died under mysterious circumstances at a young age, and the rumor was that he sold his soul to the devil at the crossroads in order to learn to play the guitar. Here are some photos.

Although nothing is as eerie as Highway 45, we still felt the roads of Mississippi are very eerie and full of ghosts. We listened to Delta blues from 1920-1969, just to add to the ambiance. (The overcast day added to it as well.) There aren't always amenities on these roads, like gas stations when a person needs to powder her nose, but then sometimes there are abandoned gas stations where a person could, say, duck behind the building and take care of business. There is a lot of poverty in Mississippi, and a lot of billboard telling people not to despair, or call this number if they are considering suicide. I feel like the whole place is cursed.

We left the scrubby pine woods and rolling hills of the eastern part of the state and entered the Delta area, and there was literally cotton on the side of the road. I even picked a little up. It really hit home that this was the area where slaves had to perform backbreaking work in the sweltering heat. Maybe not my slave ancestors, who were on a plantation in Virginia so I suppose harvesting tobacco - is that any easier? I do love the smell of drying tobacco. We headed to Clarksdale to see the crossroads where Robert Johnson supposedly sold his soul, and to tour the Delta Blues museum. We did pass this random guitar with no explanation.

Just this ad for some sort of art store beside it.

We passed Bryant's Grocery, where Emmett Till allegedly flirted with a white woman and then was murdered. Sorry, that happened first, but it's late and I'm losing focus.

Then we got to the crossroads of Highways 49 and 61 in Clarksdale, where the alleged misdeed happened.

One of the businesses at the crossroads is a 76 that looks like a castle, which struck me as hilarious. We got chocolate coconut milk there - so tasty!

Then we went to the Delta Blues Museum, which was very interesting. You aren't allowed to take photos in it, so we can't show you what's inside, but it's very informative.

There was a gorgeous moonrise just to our right as we drove north towards Memphis.

We are staying at the Big Cypress Lodge in the Memphis Pyramid, and our balcony overlooks the Bass Pro Shop below. We got here later than planned and were afraid we'd be too late to go to the restaurant on the top of the pyramid, but they did seat us, and I had snapper with crabmeat and risotto, while Travalon had those renowned Memphis barbecue ribs and a really delicious twice-baked sweet potato. Then they brought us a free piece of limoncello cake for my birthday!

Check out the view from the outdoor viewing deck!

The floor lit up and changed colors, but you could see straight down through it. I stayed on the cement edge near the wall, but that was wet for some reason.

There was also a beautiful fish tank in the middle of the restaurant.

This is the glamorous rooftop party I was hoping for in Tallahassee! I am satisfied.

Here are some photos from the inside of the Bass Pro Shop. The colorful thing is the elevator up to the restaurant and observation deck.

There is a third-story balcony area only open to people staying at the lodge, and it has fire pits where you can make s'mores. We bought a s'mores kit and made one s'more to split. I love how the full moon makes a stripe on the pyramid.

Here is the fire pit.

Here is the pyramid from the ground level.

Here it is from the third floor balcony, changing colors.

Now we are on the balcony of our room, since there is no desk in the room for me to blog on, but there's a table with four chairs on the balcony. You should see the bathroom - it's as big as the bedroom! This place is amazing. What a birthday treat! Thanks, Travalon! Happy birthday to me, in a room in a tree!

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